Overview
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is a US body that certifies pharmacy technicians. Its main credential is the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), earned by meeting PTCB's eligibility rules and passing the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE). This page covers the CPhT route and the PTCE.
Who can apply
PTCB states that a candidate must meet all of the following:
Live in the United States or its territories.
Have completed a PTCB-recognised education or training programme, or have at least 500 hours of work experience as a pharmacy technician by the time of applying. PTCB notes that a pharmacy degree can stand in for formal technician training.
Disclose all criminal history and any State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure actions.
Follow all PTCB certification policies.
Pass the PTCE.
Exam pattern
The PTCE is computer-based and has 90 multiple-choice questions. Of these, 80 are scored and 10 are unscored; the unscored questions are mixed in at random and are not marked as such. The exam itself runs 1 hour 50 minutes. With a 5-minute tutorial and a 5-minute survey afterwards, plan for about 2 hours in total.
Syllabus
The PTCE Content Outline effective January 6, 2026 groups the exam into four knowledge domains.
| Domain | Share of exam content |
|---|---|
| Medications | 35% |
| Federal Requirements | 18.75% |
| Patient Safety and Quality Assurance | 23.75% |
| Order Entry and Processing | 22.5% |
Medications: drug names and classes, interactions, dosing and dosage forms, side effects, indications, stability and storage.
Federal Requirements: rules for handling and disposing of medications and waste, controlled substance prescriptions and records, restricted drug programmes, recalls, and drug supply chain tracking.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance: high-alert and look-alike/sound-alike drugs, error prevention, situations needing a pharmacist, event reporting, types of prescription errors, and infection prevention.
Order Entry and Processing: calculations and conversions, Sig codes and abbreviations, administration supplies, lot numbers, expiry dates and NDC numbers, and returning or removing expired stock.
The outline marks some topics as calculation-based, so expect maths in several domains.
Marking and results
Scores are scaled from 1,000 to 1,600, and the passing score is 1,400. Official results are posted to your PTCB account within three weeks.
Fees
As listed on the official site in 2026, applying for CPhT certification and taking the PTCE costs $129.
How to apply
Create a PTCB account.
Apply for certification through the account.
Once approved, you receive authorisation to schedule the exam.
Book a slot at one of the Pearson test centres PTCB lists (more than 1,400 nationwide).
Arrive 30 minutes early with approved identification.
After the exam
A CPhT must renew the certification every 2 years. As listed on the official site in 2026, the renewal application fee is $55. Late processing, reprocessing and reinstatement fees also apply. Renewal involves continuing education; see PTCB's renewal requirements page for the current rules.
Preparation tips
Work from the official content outline and weigh your study time by domain share, with Medications the largest.
Practise calculations, Sig codes and abbreviations, since several outline topics test them.
Learn the federal rules for controlled substances and recalls, which fill almost a fifth of the exam.
How many questions are on the PTCE?
There are 90 multiple-choice questions, of which 80 are scored and 10 are unscored.
What score do I need to pass?
A scaled score of 1,400 on a 1,000 to 1,600 scale.
How long is CPhT certification valid?
Two years. It must then be renewed.
Can I apply without a training programme?
Yes, if you have at least 500 hours of work experience as a pharmacy technician when you apply.